As a youngster, I would get home from School, get changed and go out to play with my pals.

Now I'm older, I get home from work, get changed and go out to play with my pals, but now I call it training.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Penrith Stu - normo.

It's easy to go a bit daft in the final few weeks before the marathon. Worries about not having done enough can see some people go overboard with last minute super hard sessions and extra mileage. Over the last 8 years I have experienced enough marathon build ups to know better, and to know the importance of listening to my body and sticking to the schedule. (Although there is no actual schedule of course - since Christmas I have trained according to a rough plan in my head based on basic principals). So when I decided I would enter a local 10k this coming Saturday it seemed sensible to miss out the time trial session from my weekday training. In January I often raced Saturday and ran long the next day but back then it was usually a cross country and a sub 20 miler. A flat out road 10k and 26 miles hilly is not something to be tackled without a bit of planning and certainly not on already tired limbs.

With this in mind and by completing my reps session as early as Monday it meant I had the rest of the week suddenly freed up somewhat....

Tuesday was a pleasant day weatherwise so after work me and Penrith Stu popped up ol'e Blencathra to take photos of mydogScamp on the summit.

MydogScamp and normal Stu on the summit of Blencathra

Poor Stu hasn't been able to run for 7 weeks due to some kind of genital disorder, and after 10 or 15 minutes jogging up the lower slopes he requested we continue at walking pace. I was happy to oblige as it had seemed quite a speedy pace we were setting on what was supposedly my 'easy run day'. Indeed we must have been going well because despite walking, the summit was reached inside 40 minutes. I may have a been a bit unkind to describe Stu as a normo, I suspect the majority of people would still take a bit longer than him to climb Englands 8th highest peak after work.

Next night I set out for 13 miles on the roads. This was instead of the long offroad run I have been doing for several weeks. I figure that 2 hours even at a sedate pace was making me too tired as I close in on race day and that the extra day/mileage on road would prepare me better. Also, it is only this week been light enough to do the 13 mile loop starting as early as possible, (about 5 oclock). I guessed that 6:30 per mile would be about right for this run and set off at what felt like that pace. Turned out I was doing 6:40-6:45 pace in fact, but rather than speed up I continued at the pace that just 'felt right' even if it was slower than I'd anticipated.

Tonight I combined dog walking and running in one handy package. Me and Scamp ran the 8 mile bypass loop, stopping occasionally to swim in the river (Scamp) and to chat to people (me).

If tomorrow is as lovely warm sunny day as today was, I may have a job NOT going for a little 6 mile offroad with Scamp.

Years ago the only plan was to run as fast as possible. Some half decent times were achieved and a few races were won. Then, somewhere in the mid to late noughties I lost my way a little. I now endeavour to recapture the fitness of my past, though I suspect will never have quite the same speed.However, it seems age also brings wisdom and a newfound self belief that anything is possible if you want it badly enough (and also train very hard).

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